MORE police officers and staff are to be recruited, Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd has revealed.

He has published spending plans which would see 200 officers and staff joining the force in the coming year.

It will be funded through the police precept which forms part of the council tax bill.

It is not yet known how many would be coming to Bolton until they are recruited and deployed.

Apprentices will double from 22 to 50 in 2013/14.

A £200,000 fund to improve working with the NHS on issues such as mental health is also proposed.

Mr Lloyd said: “Every single penny of the extra money raised through the small increase to the policing part of your council tax bill is being used to boost frontline policing.

“For the average property, that increase is just over a penny a day. I think that represents great value.

“This budget will help maintain that critical link between you and your local policing team.

“I’m not going to pretend everything is rosy – it isn’t.

“The pace of cuts forced on Greater Manchester Police is unacceptable. I have done everything I can to ensure that we mitigate the impact of the cuts.

“It’s now the government’s turn to recognise that enough is enough and realise that investing in policing is good for us all.”